The first three years of my Blog follow my journey settling in to life following my move to Colombia in 2012.
After yet another a break from Blogging, I am back, but with a change of emphasis, due to health problems, I have been spending less and less time in the workshop, so decided I either had to close the Blog, or revert to it's original use...a diary! So thats what I am doing, it feels good to be back.

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Friday, 3 February 2012

Could do with more hours in the day!

While I was getting ready downstairs, Marcela was forcing herself to get out of bed...ha!ha! I went up to use the bathroom, to find that the proverbial was well and truly blocked, so a Plunger was something else to add to the shopping list!

We set off just after 9am, and headed into the city, the mapping I bought for my Garmin is rubbish, so we ended up turning it off, I will be sending an email to Garmin, and see if I can get a refund. I will have to buy a new machine locally.

We eventually found the Immigration Office, and met my first challenge, they would not let Marcela in, only me, but I did not have much of a problem, however, I was told that the requirements listed on the website had changed, and I needed more photocopies, so I left, to find that Marcela had disappeared, I could not phone her, as I was not allowed to take my mobile into the building, so her was taking care of it...five minutes later she turned up, and after a couple of false starts we got the required copies, and I returned to the Office, to find a longer queue!

All my documents were checked, and in order, I then had to sit and wait my turn to be processed, at which time, I found that I was sandwiched between a Canadian, who could speak no Spanish, and seemed proud of the fact, and a man from New York who had his own business here and seemed disillisioned with all the red tape. When I was being processed, there was a commotion behind me, and I saw another American being ejected, he had apparently taken it for granted that he would receive an extension to his visa, and booked his return flight in a months time, but they woulod only give him ten days, due to his attitude, they certainly have you by the short and curlies!

Having had all my documents scrutinised, I was taken through to be fingerprinted, at which time I asked if I had to return to declare my change of status after the wedding, and was told that was not necessary, only if I decided to work or move house. I thought of a joke at the time, then thought better of it, after seeing the earlier incident! I was then told, that the Cedula (Residency Card) should be ready in fifteen days, and I left.

We then headed into the city, as Marcela had some errands to run, then back to Bello for lunch, and to buy some bits, including buying a plunger.

Back home and loo unblocked, we set about doing some more wedding planning!